ISTD Fellowship exam and RPL process

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I've just completed a mock exam for my Fellowship (Imperial Ballet) title with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). This exam requires dissecting the syllabus from the early training through to the final level of Advanced 2 and analysing the build-up of exercises, teaching methodology, and safe dance practice at all levels. For this exam, in particular, there is a creative process of piecing together an hour and a half Advanced 2 standard class as well as choreographing a solo at the same level. I will teach the students, whom I won't have met before, my class live in front of two examiners and then a further hour of viva-voce / reflective analysis.

I'm gearing up towards this final exam (18th March) after two years of making my way up through the ISTD's initial dance teacher training and through the professional qualification process. I completed my Level 6 Licentiate (in lockdown) in October and am looking forward to holding the Fellowship status. This level 7 qualification will contribute toward my RPL claim and as I'm in taking the exam during the same period it seems very fitting.

Since I've read through the RPL claim handbook, I can identify why the Fellowship exam is granted 60 credits at Level 7. It's taken me months if not years to learn the full ISTD syllabus from beginning to end before I was fluent enough to deliver the work back to students in training. I experimented with my own methodology along with tried and tested methods I had learnt in the classroom to improve my dancers, learnt to read sheet music as a way of ensuring I was counting and translating the musicality correctly, and improved upon my knowledge of anatomy and physiology from my time as a Personal Trainer. I also further developed more basic teacher skills e.g. creating concise lesson plans and notating choreography. Because of this process, I have been taught by a generous selection of the Imperial Ballet status exam teachers and I feel my professional practice as a teacher has enhanced significantly as a result. I will reflect and deliver all the learning I've achieved through a discussion with the two examiners on the day.

This process has also helped me reflect on other areas of learning (AOL) I've experienced in my career as a teacher and performer. I've decided to write my first AOL essay on my time as a Dance Captain in The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty's Theatre - West End). I can now clearly see the particular learning which took place in discovering this role, which are aspects of what I've learnt on my journey as a teacher, along with added people management and leadership skills. 

I hope everyone else is having a positive first experience on this course and I look forward to reading about your experiences. 








Comments

  1. Lorraine BennettFebruary 18, 2021 at 5:11 PM

    Me again James. I wanted to reach out. I passed my Fellowship in August 2019. For me it was a whirlwind time. I was RAD trained as a student and teacher. I took my first ISTD ICB exam, my Associate, in 2016, and then took the next level each year (2017 Associate Dip, 2018 Licentiate, 2019 Fellow). I entered without thinking about it, as well as my ICB Advanced 1 and 2 practical exams (as I didn't have my RAD A2) and just got on with it. I live in Australia so exams only come round once a year.
    The Fellowship exam had to be done in London so dovetailed beautifully around Chichester at the time. I'm wondering if I've seen you? I've been to Chichester twice, and have taken multiple courses in the UK.
    I totally agree with the recognition and think that your AOL study would be an enormously interesting read! My sincere congratulations on securing that position, you must have many a story to tell.
    I look forward to getting to know you through this course. I hope we have the chance to chat in person one day - when I'm next in the UK, whenever that might be! But meanwhile I would like to wish you the very very best for your Fellowship. The mentorship with the ISTD is the best I know, I felt and still feel privileged to have been a part of the process. It's what brought me here, I didn't want to stop the learning journey, although this is very very very different...

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    Replies
    1. James ButcherFebruary 21, 2021 at 4:20 AM

      Hi Lorraine, thanks for that. I haven't ever made it to Chichester, which is a shame. I started my ISTD journey alongside my performing commitments, so that meant I had to have mostly private Tutorage - but this did mean I was coached by a variety of glorious and inspiring people.
      The wait is killing me and still waiting to find out if it will be 'in person' or remote.
      I hope your AOL process is going well. I assume you're aiming to do 1 essay worth 20 credits too?

      Delete
  2. SheahanFebruary 18, 2021 at 6:21 PM

    Congratulations on reaching this point in your Fellowship journey James. It is daunting at moments and yet so inspirational. I love the way you have described the process. When I took mine in 2012, the format was slightly different: 10 minutes before the exam began, I was handed an envelop with 3 vocabulary steps to include in my class. However, the examiners gave me 5 and forgot to let me know that was to allow me a choice of which three to incorporate until the exam was in process. It was one of the hardest exams I have done because of all the unknowns, so I am grateful the formatting has changed to reflect a more realistic way of teaching and it added immense anxiety to my exam. What a perfect parallel journey - Fellowship and MAPP. I wish you all the best. I am sure you have many supports, but if you need any more, please do not hesitate to reach out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. James ButcherFebruary 21, 2021 at 4:24 AM

    Thank you so much Sheahan, I'm so glad we have a strong ISTD community here on the MAPP programme.
    Your exam sounds like an interesting one, I'm still waiting to find out if I'll be teaching the students through Zoom or if they're allowed to be in the studio with me and only the examiners on Zoom. I'm not expecting an easy ride either but at least we've both got something juicy to write about!!
    Thanks again
    JB

    ReplyDelete

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